UCONN WOMEN: UConn dominates Marquette 85-51

By Jim Fuller

Saturday, January 12, 2013

MILWAUKEE >> If the last couple of days of practice proved anything it was that hoisting up the most 3-point attempts in program history in the UConn women's basketball team's last game was one record that did not please the Huskies' Hall of Fame head coach.

So when the third-ranked Huskies went to work preparing for Saturday's Big East game against Marquette, the top priority was establishing a low-post presence.

It was hardly a coincidence that the first UConn got the ball in the 85-51 victory on Saturday afternoon, Kelly Faris floated a pass to Stefanie Dolson in the paint. Dolson finished with ease and scored almost at will within the shadow of the basket.

"As Coach said we put an emphasis of getting the ball inside and our guards did a great job of delivering it to me and giving me good passes," Dolson said. "I think we did a good job of getting the ball inside/out and having a good balance."

The balance involved Dolson hitting 9 of her 11 shots while Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis was 9 of 13 from the field en route to a game-high 24 points.

"We talked a lot about that the last couple of days," Auriemma said. "We made it a point the last couple of days to get Stefanie the ball as much as possible. We did and I think that created a whole other set of problems with Marquette. I thought the ball movement was great that first 20 minutes. We got the exact shot we wanted to get most every time down the floor. It has been a while since we have come out with that kind of focus to start games and it was good to see."

UConn (14-1, 2-1 in the Big East) scored the game's first 11 points and led 17-4 before the crowd of 2,684 inside the Al McGuire Center were able to get comfortable.

Brianna Banks had 12 points, Kelly Faris added 11 points, five rebounds, eight assists and five steals (moving by Sue Bird and into the No. 10 spot on UConn's career charts). Morgan Tuck, not cleared to play until a few hours before the start of the game, added seven points, nine rebounds and five assists.

The news was not all good. Bria Hartley, who missed more than a month of preseason camp as well as the first two games of the season with a sprained ankle, only played five minutes in the first half before hurting her ankle again. After getting her ankle re-taped, she headed into the locker room and did not return until the start of the second half. However, Hartley did not play again as Moriah Jefferson started the second half.

Sarina Simmons led Marquette (8-6, 0-2) with 19 points.

UConn freshman Breanna Stewart missed the game due to a sprained ankle. Stewart injured her ankle in Friday's practice and will be reevaluated when the Huskies return home.

"Bria just rolled her ankle," Auriemma said. "We are waiting to see tomorrow or something but she rolled and it is the same one that was bothering her before. I thought it was best don't push your luck. Breanna Stewart stepped on somebody's foot yesterday, turned her ankle and that was that. There is not much you can do about those things. I am hopeful that both of them will be back on Tuesday. Some sprained ankles are worse than others so we will see."